More information about eligibility

This page gives you more information about how we decide if you can receive help and support from Adult Social Care.

The National Eligibility Threshold for Adults Needing Care

The Care Act 2014 sets out the levels of care and support that all local authorities must meet. The threshold of eligibility is based on whether a person’s needs prevent them from meeting specified outcomes and how much this affects their wellbeing.

After completing the assessment, we will determine whether a person has eligible needs. However, these needs may not necessarily be met through a funded service; other solutions would include meeting the needs through a universal service, a direct payment, a personal budget or an individual service fund.

Determining Eligibility

There is now a new mandatory, three stage process to determine whether a person's needs are eligible:

1. The needs must arise from or be related to a physical or mental impairement.

2. As a result of the needs a person is unable to achieve 2 or more of the following outcomes:

- Access food & drink, prepare and consume it
- Maintain personal hygiene
- Have the ability to access and use the toilet
- Dress themselves appropriately in relation to the weather
- Safely move around the home
- Maintain a habitable home environment
- Develop & maintain family and/or personal relationships
- Access work, training, education or volunteering
- Make use of necessary services in the community including public transport and recreational facilities
- Carry out caring responsibiities that an adult has for a child

3. As a consequence of being unable to achieve these outcomes there is or will be a significant impact on wellbeing.

Further Information

The Council's Assessment and Eligibility Policy